A Song of Dragons
by Evolution'sFavoriteMistake
Summary: War rages in the north,an empire is on the brink of collapse and elven puppet masters hide in the shadows controlling it all and now the bane of mortals has returned from beyond the currents of time Alduin and his servants once more blacken the skies of the world to reclaim their place as overlords of mundus. Amidst this chaos a young orc comes to skyrim unaware of his role to play
1. A wet country

_12th_ _Lastseed,_ _4E_ _201_

So far, I did not find Skyrim an enjoyable place. I was told it would be cold, not _wet._ I could deal with cold though. I don't like it, but I could deal with it. The wetness was a different matter altogether it made my tusks itch. By Malacath, it's times like this that I miss hot, dry Hammerfell the most. But for all its apparent flaws, Skyrim was much better than a Thalmor dungeon. I don't think I'll ever know how their agents got so deep into Hammerfell, being the sovereign nation that it is.I grunted as the morning sun glinted off my iron pauldron and into my eyes, I looked up and saw the sun shining through the tress and began to pack up my small camp I need to make better time I am still too close to the Hammerfell border and the last thing I wanted was for the Thalmor catch up to me.

My thoughts were interrupted by the sound of a large group of travelers moving up the road in the same direction I was going. Their pace was quicker than mine and soon I heard the heavily accented voice of a Nord speak behind me.

"Hail wanderer, what brings you to Skyrim?" the man asked, gazing at my distinctly Hammerfell style armor.

"Leaving some trouble in Hammerfell behind and Skyrim seemed a decent place to do it." I answered as I looked over to his fellows, "Large group you travel with."

"Safety in numbers," the Nord answered with a shrug. "Can't be too careful these days. We were on our way to Windhelm ourselves."

"I see. Would I be imposing if I asked to travel with you for a time? It's been a damn long journey from Hammerfell, and one I made alone."

The man's brow furrowed as he thought. "One moment" he mumbled, walking towards the now stopped group and spoke to a man near the front for a moment. After a few hushed words, he returned to me. "You may travel with us, but stay near the back."

"My thanks…" I started, unsure.

"Ralof," the Nord supplied as he caught my meaning.

"My thanks, Ralof. Call me Mazlor." I moved to the back of the group and kept pace as they resumed walking. We traveled in silence for nearly an hour before Ralof made his way to the back and began conversing with me. I learned he was much more fond of small talk than I, but I used the chance to learn about current events in Skyrim. Besides the rebellion, I knew very little about the province I was now in. I learned that the civil war had slowed, with neither side making any real gains and most of the bloodshed was happening in the form of small skirmishes. Ralof seemed bitter about this, not that I blamed him. I imagine being caught in the middle of a civil war was not great.

Being a person that does not enjoy speaking unless necessary, the small talk continued for a bit longer then I would have liked. But as Ralof opened his mouth to continue his thoughts, a scream of pain and several shouts of surprise filled the air.

"Kill the rebels!"

"Imperials, all around us!" Malacath's balls, they were Stormcloaks, they just _had _to be. A dull thud sounded against my chest and I looked down to see a standard issue Legion arrow fall to the ground as it bounced off my Iron plate.

"Well, shit," I sighed as I drew my battle axe and turned my attention to the sound of footfalls coming from my left to see an Imperial soldier mid charge. I side stepped the blow and brought my axe down on his neck. His body crumpled in a bloody heap on the ground beneath my blade.

"That wasn't very smar-," I let out a shout of surprise as a sound like none I have ever heard shook the air and nearly brought me to my knees.

"**FUS RO,**" the sound left my ears ringing and my head feeling like a minotaur had stomped on it in the greatest of rages. As I struggled to recover from the deafening sound, I was blessed to notice the glint of gold from my right and managed to spin around to block the Elven mace from caving my skull in. I found myself locking eyes with an Altmer woman I assumed to be a Thalmor. There was something vaguely familiar about her.

"Recognize me, you green-skinned filth?" she snarled with pure hatred in her eyes.

"No," I responded quickly before I opened my palm and let loose a stream of flames into the Thalmor's face. Her hands flew to her face and she wailed in pain, leaving her open for a strike. My axe swung in a downward arc, severing her left leg at the knee. Her screams intensified and her hands went from her face to her profusely bleeding knee in an effort to stop the blood, but she left her head wide open. A second later, the cries ceased as my blade removed her head with a single powerful stroke.

My breath came in gasps as I gazed around the battle to see Ralof surrounded by a group of Imperials. As I moved forward to help him, I felt a burning pain in my right shoulder that quickly surged through the rest of my body and seemed to send me spinning through the air at a speed that should have been impossible. Fortunately, the feeling didn't last long. Unfortunately, it was immediately replaced with a new feeling of blunt pain, then motionlessness. I groggily looked up at the tree that I had slammed into and let out a groan as the fog of unconsciousness coiled around me. I let out a shaky cough and mumbled as the darkness took me.

"_Damn…"_


	2. Headsmen and Dragons

**_AN: Tes and all of its characters are property of _****_Bethesda_****_. Thank you to the amazing Tohmed Ceht for her _****_excellent_****_beta work for both this chapter and the last one. With out further a-do let the chapter begin!_**

_13th_ _of Last Seed 4E201 _

Ulfric Stormcloak grunted in annoyance as he was kicked awake by a figure obscured by the sun's light.

"Up, you rebel filth," the Imperial sneered, realizing who it was. Slowly, Ulfric drew himself to his full height and glared at the Imperial, who, to his amusement, took a half step back.

"Get that dog moving," A distinctly high Elven voice barked out from somewhere behind him.

"Yes, sir!" The Imperial snapped. Always the good little dogs that they were. Ulfric was shoved into a cart with one of his men, Ralof he thought, a nervous whelp, and the Orc whom the Thalmor had hit with lightning.

"Jarl Ulfric," Ralof nodded to him. Ulfric tried to respond, but all that came out was a grunt due to the dirty cloth shoved into his mouth as a gag. Ulfric sat and waited as the cart began to move. They had to be close to wherever the Imperials were taking them, or at least he hoped they were. He doubted they were taking him to the Emperor based on the direction they were moving. He was expecting an execution, but where? Ulfric's thoughts were interrupted by a startled grunt from Ralof as the still unconscious Orc's head fell onto the man's shoulder.

"By Talos, what have the Elves been doing to him?" the rebel asked with disgust and discomfort in his voice. For some reason, the witch-Elves hated the Orc. The sea of torture wounds on the Orc's body were indication enough. Ulfric had to give the Orc credit, he hadn't heard him scream at any point. So, either the Thalmor went at him while he was out of it, or he was made of some seriously stern stuff.

"Forget that. What are they going to do with us?" the whelp stammered.

"Quiet!" The cart's driver barked and thankfully, the milk-drinker took the hint. Ralof seemed content to bear his new burden in silence, so Ulfric settled and closed his eyes, hoping to get just a bit more sleep before the end.

_  
'_Ow,_' my eyes opened to be met with the glaring sun.

'_Everything hurts,_' I heard the sounds of wagon wheels and nervous breathing. '_The Thalmor_ _got tired of their fun,_ _I guess.'_

Slowly, I raised my head from the firm, warm surface it was resting on and blinked a few times to let my eyes adjust to the sun.

"Hey, you. You're finally awake," a somewhat familiar voice called out. I looked to my left to see a much more haggard and dirt covered Ralof.

"Yeah, I am. Was I on your shoulder?" The question was groggier than I expected.

"...Yes"

"You got a comfortable shoulder," I grunted as I scooted over to give the man some space.

"Thank you, I suppose." Ralof replied, obviously confused. I looked around the cart and saw a man with a gag secured tightly around his mouth and someone new. A skinny... Nord? Breton? Who knows. Most humans look the same.

"Who's this?" I asked, nodding towards the stranger.

"A horse thief the Imperials grabbed a day or so ago," Ralof replied. I could feel my face curl into a snarl.

"You and me, we shouldn't be here. It's the Stormcloaks the Empire wants." The thief spat out.

"Don't assume any form of kinship with me, _thief_," I growled. "And it hardly matters who should be here or not. If they cared, they wouldn't have attacked me." The human swallowed and did his best to scoot away from me at my seemingly unexpected disgust.

"Quiet back there!" an Imperial barked from the cart's driver seat as he snapped on the reins of his horses. The next few minutes passed in blissful silence as we approached a walled settlement that seemed to have an entire legion garrison within it. As we entered the town, the thief started praying to his Deities and an Imperial called out to his General about a headsman.

'_So,_ _it is an execution after_ _all._ _At least a headsman_ _is quicker tha-_' my thoughts were interrupted by more prattling from the horse thief.

"If you don't hold your tongue, I'll do the executioner's job for him," I snarled through barred teeth.

"W-what?" the cur stammered.

"Shut. Up. Thief." I put as much emphasis on the words as I could.

"Well said!" Ralof chimed in, clearly nursing a headache. "If you're going to die today, at least do it with dignity!" A grunt of agreement came from the gagged one, a glare that could kill in his eyes. Seeing that he had made no friends in this cart of dead men, the thief withdrew into himself and was finally silent. At last, the cart rolled to a stop and we were dragged off into an open area with various Legionnaires. A headsman and a priestess of the Nine… wait. It's not nine anymore, it's just eight now. By Malacath, can humans stop themselves from altering their pantheon?

As the prisoners were slowly removed from the carts, the Imperials began prattling about their damn lists again. I drowned most of the garbage out after the horse thief got himself killed and they finally got to me.

"And now…. Huh. Who are you?" A burly Nord holding the list asked.

"Mazlor Gro-Olbral," I spoke calmly.

"Captain, he's not on the list."

"Forget the list. This beast goes to the block," the man's superior sneered, contempt in her eyes. The man looked at the ground for a moment and sighed before speaking again.

"Im sorry, I'll make sure your remains are returned to Orsinium."

"Dont, those cowards wouldn't know what to do with a true Orc's remains."

"O-ok then."

"Get him to the block, soldier!"

"Yes, ma'am! To the block, prisoner!" I obeyed while not breaking eye contact with the woman as I went. As I stood waiting in the hot and cramped courtyard, an old Imperial came forward.

'_Too old._ _Why he and his kin disgrace themselves by running around at that age,_ _I'll never know.'_

"Ulfric Stormcloak! Some here in Helgen call you a hero but a hero doesn't use a power like the Voice to murder his king and usurp his throne!" The old man announced as he took his position. Ulfric grunted with contempt. "You started this war, plunged Skyrim into chaos, now the Empire is going to put you down and restore peace!" As his speech ended, the man fell into a coughing fit and hacked up a small amount of blood. A moment of silence followed before things continued. The first prisoner was called and, to the no-tusk's credit, he died with pride in himself and his beliefs. Amidst the many

comments on the man's death, I heard a roar. Or, what sounded like one, but distant and weak. It was clear that the list-reader had heard it as well, but when he mentioned it, the old man waved him off and called for the next prisoner.

"Next, the Orc!" It seemed to be my turn now.

'_Joy of joys_,' As I reached the block, I decided to make this as difficult as I could. When the woman who had called for me went to push me down, my legs didn't so much as budge.

"So, that's how you want to play?" She sneered as she drew her blade and slammed its pommel into the inside of my knee. I grunted as I went to my knees and she slammed my neck into the block. The last man's blood was hot and sticky against my neck. Once more, that roar filled the air, but much closer this time.

'_Father of pariahs,_ _may my life be worthy of your notice and may you welcome me into your forge with open arms,'_ my final prayer to Malacath finished. I looked directly at the headsman, as well as I could from my current position, and noticed what seemed to be the void itself moving at impossible speeds through the clouds.

"Does no one see-" I began shifting to look closer.

"Silence!" Was all I got as the headsman began lifting his axe over his head. As the blade was about to begin its descent, that roar sounded once more, but louder. Ear shatteringly loud and much closer, with a rumbling crash that sent the axeman to his knees. I saw it land, as large as a house, black as the void and dripping with malice and wrath.

"Malacath, is that a..?"

"DRAGON!"


	3. A bad day gets worse

_13 of lasteed 4e201_

My mind went completely blank as I gazed upon the horror its mere presence defying all I knew of history and the world, and yet there it was locking eyes with me, its eyes burning coals against the void of its seemed to pass at a crawl as I knelt there all of my instincts screaming to run,but I couldn't something about the creatures horrible majesty kept me rooted there.

"Hey orc get up! The gods won't give us another chance!" A voice that had grown familiar called out as I was dragged to my feet. I broke my gaze from the creature and looked to Ralof who had been freed of his bonds and just like that my body was under my control once more

"No they wont let's move!" I gasped rather than the shout I expected,as I began moving towards the tower the stormcloaks where congregating, behind me I heard the dragon… laugh as it watched the ants scurry away from it and roared out to the sky which began spewing flaming hunks of rock towards nirn as if answering the beasts command '_such power'_. I stumbled into the tower and began making my way to the stairs.

"Jarl Ulfric is that… could the legends be true?" I heard Ralof ask and I turned to look at him

"Legends don't burn villages."Ulfric said soberly

"No they don't and if you no-tusks could save the talking for when that thing isn't burning down a village that would be excellent!" I snarled as I began making my way up the stairs, _humans._

"He's right we need to move NOW!" Ulfirc shouted as Ralof began following me up the reached the top to see a stormcloak frantically moving stones who Ralof went to help

"Just need to move the stone-" the nord was interrupted by the wall behind him exploding as the dragon slammed its head through before inhaling a massive amount of air

"MOVE!"

"**RUTH-SHUL-AL**" Fire hotter than any I've seen rushed from the beast's maw as I threw Ralof back and jumped back myself.I did not move until the roar stopped. I slowly got to my feet and looked down to see that simply being by the fire had burnt my arm, not bad but still burnt

"Thank you" Ralog gasped as he stood up "Is Jorik…?"

"Ashes." I answered and gingerly looked out the hole the beast had made in the wall to the flaming but still somewhat standing inn about 10 feet away "Think you can make that jump?" I asked Ralof

"Maybe but I need to make sure Jarl Ulfric is alright, you go on ahead find Hadvar if you can, might be an imperial but he'll make sure you don't get killed, Go we'll follow when we can!" Ralof shouted as he went down the stairs. If he wants to die with his Chief that's his choice,I grunted as I leapt just barely landing on the destroyed inns second floor and quickly moved down to the ground floor sweat dripping into my eyes, damn this heat I spent my entire life around forges but this is like the Alik'r in the dead of summer but somehow worse. I broke through the fiery door of the inn to see the list-readr and another old man calling to a child who was trying to drag a man I assumed to be his father blood covering his hands, the child was smart enough to realize he could not save the man as his father gently pushed him away and began running towards the list-reader. Just as the boy reached the list-reader the best simply picked up the wounded man and carried him off into the sky, I saw his body fall to the earth and break with a crack

"Prisoner?" The list reader asked

"Not my name" I grunted the man paid me no heed and told the old man to watch over the child

"With me prisoner we need to find general Tullius!" He yelled as he took off at a trot. '_I guess we do'_ so still bound I followed the imperial_._ we ran through the quickly crumbling village, fire and blood filling my nostrils, screams and roars assaulting my ears, the end of the damned world all around me. It didn't take long to find the old man who seemed to be desperately trying to conduct the villages defense

"Hadvar! Into the keep soldier we are leaving!" The imperial shouted as he loosed an arrow at the dragon that flew wide

"Yes sir, come on prisoner!" The list reader beckoned once more as he moved towards the keep and once more I followed out of a lack of options,the dragon roared somewhere above us and I could feel that same heat rushing down towards me,acting on instinct I rushed forward and jumped past the list reader and slid on the rough ground and once the heat subsided I scrambled to my feet,the ground where I just had been had become like glass and I couldn't see the the list reader.

"You made it!" I whipped around and saw Ralof enter the courtyard I was standing in "Come on into the keep!" He resumed the jog that he stopped when he saw me and I followed him into what seemed to be the keeps main chamber.

As the door slammed behind me the noise from the village muffled and I stood for a moment to catch my breath

"A dragon…. Malacath preserve me how can a **dragon **be here" Anger and fear coursed through me in equal measure

"I wish I could tell you that but I have no idea,dragons aren't supposed to be real…" Ralof answered as he entered the room proper and looked around and laid eyes on a dead stormcloak "Rest in Sovngarde might as well take his axe he doesn't need it, think we got enough time for you to get his armor on?"He asked as he cut me free from the damn ropes that kept my hands useless

"I doubt it, hardly the worst thing that's happened today." I grunted as I hefted the dead man's war-axe and tested its weight "Crude and poorly made but it will do."

"Good, now we need to… wait do you hear that?" A look of worry passing over Ralofs features, I listened and heard what sounded like plated boots coming down the hall

"Imperials." I sighed preparing myself, '_suppose im an enemy of the empire now',_

"Take cover" Ralof whispered pointing towards the wall by the door the imperials would come from.I called a spell of oak flesh into my off hand and waited,the spell ready to be cast as soon as that door sound of voices grow louder as what sounded like three imperials opened the door,as soon as one of them entered the chamber I finished the casting of oak-flesh and brought me axe down on him,unfortunately the spell gave him just enough warning for him to move himself so the axe came down on the chain reinforced part of his armor rather than his head.

"Rebels!" the lucky bastard shouted right before one of Ralofs axes sunk into the back of the man's neck, I dodged a blow from the second imperial who rushed forward his blade in hand as Ralof engaged the officer who condemned me to death, the man slashed down and just magened to hit the magically hardened skin on my face, it hurt like a bitch but his blade bounced off and left him wide open, I brought the axe across his neck in one wicked hack and left him to gurgle as I turned to Ralof and his was holding his ground but the woman was better armed and armored and he was losing ground fast,I moved behind her as another of Ralofs blows bounced off her plate, taking the axe in both hands I swung it into the lightly protected back of her knee, she shouted in surprise and pain falling to one knee she looked back at me, A wicked smile on my face, _Mistake_ Ralof brought both his axes down on her neck and took her head clean off her body. As her corpse thuded on the floor as I looked down the hall they came from

"Leads back out I think."I spoke as Ralof kneeled down to search the imperials

"Dont think its gonna be a ." I turned to him and caught a small metal object, I looked down at the key and looked up to the locked door at the other side of the chamber

"Nice work." I said as I began making my way over to the door I got a mumbled

'thanks' from Ralof as he continued searching the dead.I put the key in its lock

and turned, a click and a clang as the lock fell of the bars later and the path was clear "Stairs going down over here." I called to him as he stood up

"Great let's go!" He responded as he began to jog down the stairs I quickly followed. The sounds of the dragon destroying the village could still be heard even under this much stone each roar shaking the stone above continued in grim silence as we reached the bottom of the staircase and began walking down the hall, with a roar that even here was loud the dragon seemed to land directly above the hallway and caused it to collapse on the lone imperial soldier who had just turned around to look at us ,_not your lucky day._ With a look one another we opened the nearby door and entered to find to imperials rummaging what appeared to be the pantry, we moved quickly keeping the element of surprise the fight didn't last long.

"What idiot pillages his forts pantry while a dragon is burning it down?" I scoffed as I wiped the blood from the war axe

"Imperials apparently."Ralof snorted as he shook his head "Come on we should keep moving, that dragon doesn't seem to want to stop." With that we continued down.

As we came to the second end of the obstructed hall the sound of battle reached us and we moved towards it in silence with our weapons ready. "Trolls blood a toture room!" Ralof snarled his grip on his axe becoming white knuckled as we entered the room and looked around I saw at least 2 living imperials a dead one about 4 dead stormcloaks and a thalmor slowly slitting the throat of a fifth,_worthless golden-assed no tusk_, with no words I charged the thalmor whose back was to me

"Behold the fate of all who challenge the do-" The fools bragging was cut short as I used my momentum to pick him up and slam him into the wall with all my might, the imperials gasped and drew their blades to aid the elf but Ralof had come in right behind me and fell on the first of them a blur of axes and anger. I grabbed the black-robes head and with a violent crack snapped his neck in two, I turned to aid Ralof but shouldn't have bothered by the time I finished the first imperial was dead and the second had raised his hands in surrender.

"Don't kill me I beg of you!"He practically screeched as he backed away

"Why shouldn't I!?"Ralof demanded "How many people have you tortured in here?! How many true children of skyrim have you butchered like animals!?"

"Were wasting time" I cut in "Kill him or not but we need to keep moving." Ralof began walking closer to the imperial

"Please don't! I beg of you-" His pleading was replaced with a gasp as Ralof brought both of his axes down on the man's throat. As the man fell to the ground I nodded my head towards the exit and began moving. Ralof followed wordlessly as the sounds of the dragon began to properly dim whether or not it was because we were going deeper or it was leaving I could not say,

"Mazlor,hold on." Ralof called out, I turned around confused and a bit annoyed "I saw this in there" He spoke as he held out a proper battle axe to me "And remembered that you seem to like the bigger ones."

"...thank you"I responded as I took it and tested the weight "this will do,now come on let's go." We continued in silence and encountered little resistance we entered a large cave devoid of any life and kept moving,we reached a smaller cave that was covered in spider webs and filled with corpses, spiders and a large group of imperials lied around the cave, with a few laughs at the fact that members of the mighty imperial legion were killed by overgrown spiders we kept moving.

"Hold up" Ralof whispered "Over there,looks like a bear den" he pointed to a portion of the caves, bathed in sunlight as it was I could see bones and blood but no bear

"True but I don't see it."I whispered back

"Aye, we should keep moving carefully" We moved in silence as we followed the small stream that I hoped would lead out "I think we're almost out-" A roar cut Ralof but it was not the dragon, I turned just in time to see the bear mid charge

"SHIT!" The bear slammed into me dragging me several feet before I regained my footing and hit it with a few quick slashes from my axe, the bear didn't notice but stood on its hind legs and before I could move out of the way brought its claws down towards me, In a last attempt to defend myself I raised the axes's haft to block the blow but it did nothing, the haft snapped in two and the bears claws easily rent through the rough tunic and dragged through my lower chest and most of my abdomen.

I fell to my knees as Ralof fell on the bear doing his best to distract the beast, my vision began to blur as blood poured from my wounds, the sounds of Ralof and the bear growing dim, _I DON'T DIE THAT EASILY, _My vision came back into snap focus as the rage built in me and with a primal roar that put the bears to shame I stood up,the beast turned to face me and before it could react I stabbed the broken bottom half of the axes haft in its back and brought the axe blade down on its neck, barely aware of anything but the smell of blood in my nostrils and my foe, I hacked at the bear with the axe forcing it back with each blow,It slashed my right arm deeply with its claws and nearly crushed my left leg with its jaws before I slammed the axe into its neck removing its a crash the beast fell blood gushing through its neck and covering me in the metallic smelling fluid. A scream slowly rose through my gut and as it reached my throat I raised my head and let it out "**MALACATH!"** the name rousended around the cavern and my rage subsided, the pain finally hitting, causing me to collapse.

"Mazlor you alive!" I heard Ralofs voice call

"Y..yeah" was all I could manage and soon after I felt the nord kneel near me

"Open your mouth I found some healing potions on those imperials" I obeyed and soon felt the warm bitter tasting liquid pour down my of my wounds rapidly knit themselves closed, I barely managed to remain awake through the pain but slowly I stood up

"Let's get the hell out of here" I spoke between coughs

"Yeah…"Ralof stood and we slowly resumed following the stream which proved to lead to the exit the sun's light shining its brightness stinging my eyes as I finally left the damn keep behind me.


	4. Rest and Recovery

**AN: Once again Skyrim and its character belong to Bethesda and once more I would like to thank Tomhed Ceht for her amazing beta work next chapter will be up soon.**

13th of Last Seed 4E201

I stumbled out of the cave, the sun's light searing my eyes.

"Finally," Ralof sighed with relief as he looked around. "I hope the dragons gon-" Ralof's hope was dashed as the beast flew above at ridiculous speeds away from Helgen. Seeing it even from here froze me in my tracks. It seemed to absorb the sun's light, its mere presence making the world darker. Just as quick as it came, the dragon was gone, the only evidence it was ever here being the sound of fire and the smell of death.

"He is now," I spoke after a few seconds of stunned silence. I let out a cough that carried blood with it. "Damn."

"We need to get you to Riverwood. I got family there and those wounds need proper treatment." I nodded, my mind replaying the day's events. Wondering how exactly I survived it all, I followed Ralof. Limping and bloody, but alive. The journey to Riverwood was made in silence. Not only from us, but everywhere. It seemed that the dragon had frightened every natural creature away from Helgen and left the now dead place in eerie silence. The quiet was broken once we happened upon a group of three stones. Ralof began speaking of their history and significance, but I wasn't paying attention.

"See for yourself," He finished, motioning to the carved stones. Slowly, I approached the stones, the hum of magicka hung in the air as if they were watching me and waiting for my choice. I ran my hand over the surprisingly cool surface of the stone that bore the image of the archetypal wizard. "Mage huh? Well to each his own, it's not my place to judge." A response was on my lips when the stone lit up and and shot a blue light into the sky. I took a step back as I felt a warm feeling wrap around me, the sensation made my skin tingle.

"That was… weird." I said after a moment, rubbing the back of my neck. "Come on, let's keep going."

We were close to Riverwood at that point and I was grateful. My wounds stung and burnt with each step and the simple act of breathing was becoming difficult. Riverwood itself was a nice enough little village. The sounds of children at play mixed with the churn of the water wheel and neighing horses formed a pleasant chorus of simple bliss, which clashed with the events of the last day or so violently. How such simple joy like this and absolute chaos were so close to one another I couldn't understand. The smell of freshly baked bread and roasting meat reached my nostrils and my stomach took its chance to finally voice its suffering.

"That smells good," I huffed and started to make my way to the building the scent was flowing from.

"Hold on there," Ralof chuckled as he put a hand on my shoulder to stop my advance. "We should get ourselves cleaned up first. And, those wounds still need treatment." At first a childlike despair at being denied food boiled in my gut, but my better sense won out in the end.

"You have a point. You got family here?" I asked, forcing myself to turn around.

"Aye, my sister Gerdur runs the mill," he answered, motioning to the mill with his thumb. "Should have some things to help us out. Come on." With that, Ralof began making his way to the mill and, hiding my pain and discomfort with each step, I followed. We reached the mill just as a tall Nordic woman seemed to be leaving, dressed in simple clothing and wearing her hair in a similar style to Ralof's. The woman, who I assumed to be Gerdur, gasped.

"Ralof? What are you doing here? I thought you were with Ulfric! And who's this? A comrade in arms?" She asked, her gaze falling on me.

"Not yet, just a friend as of now. He saved my life, as a matter of fact. You're right, I was with Ulfric, but it got complicated fast." Ralof began recounting what happened at Helgen as Gerdur called her husband down. My legs suddenly felt weak and I numbly sat down on a large tree stump. Once more, I went through the day in my head, tuning their conversation out.

'_A dragon… every old story I know states that dragons are harbingers of the end times…' _ The conversation turned to my wounds apparently, because Gerdur's husband had exclaimed;

"Shor's Bones, man! You look like you just fist fought a bear!"

"Yeah, probably because I have." I grunted.

"Sister, I hate to ask this of you, but I would be dead without his help. If you have any healing supplies…" Ralof sighed, shifting his weight from one foot to another.

"Nonsense, Ralof. Any friend of yours is a friend of mine. And what Nord lets a friend die from an untreated wound?" Gerdur replied as she motioned for us to follow "You speak as if asking for some simple potions and badges would cripple us you _ice-brain_." At this chiding, Ralof rubbed the back of his neck as a slight blush began to rise on his cheeks.

We reached Gerdur's house in good time and Gerdur moved to a small chest "Take your shirt off," she commanded and silently I obeyed, peeling the rough garment off my torso and hissing in pain as I did. The potion Ralof had given me had stopped me from bleeding out in the cave, but hadn't closed the wounds completely. The shirt had stuck to the wounds with saturated with blood as it was. The ten claw marks still wept their crimson tears and began wetting the small homes' floor with blood.

"Sit down and stay still," Gerdur commanded once more and I again complied with her request. I had learned from personal experience that making a healer's job difficult was stupid.I waited quietly as Gerdur worked. She first cleaned the wound, then applied some ointment before wrapping the wounds in bandages.

"It's going to scar. Nothing I can do about that," she shrugged after she finished.

"Good. Is there anywhere I can clean myself?" I said as I stood up.

"Just the river by the mill." She replied, jabbing her thumb over her shoulder. "Now, Ralof."

"I'm fine, Gerdur." Ralof began.

"Don't argue with her, my friend. It never ends well to deny aid." I spoke before Gerdur could respond, placing a hand on Ralof's shoulder with a smile pulling at my lips. Ralof began stuttering in protest as Gerdur sat him down and with a laugh, I left the man to his fate.

16th of Last Seed

I had been in Riverwood for a few days waiting for my wounds to properly heal when I realized that I had no armor and no axe. So, seeking to rectify this, I approached the village blacksmith, a burly Nord by the name of Alvor, and asked for use of his forge.

"I don't see the harm in it, as long as you know what you're doing and don't break anything." He had simply replied, and we worked out a deal. After Alvor retired for the day, I would come to his forge and work, leaving the gold for any materials I used in a small strong box. Alvor was skeptical at this. But, after I assured him that the code of Malacath, which I closely live by, forbids theft he allowed it. With the agreement in order, I began forging some proper tools of war. I spent all the gold that I had made selling the scavenged gear from Helgen in the process, but after a few days of constant work I was done. The banded Iron was nothing extraordinary, but it would keep me alive. The steel battle axe, however, was something I was proud of. It wasn't double-headed like some axes the Nord's made. It didn't need the extra weight, so I opted for a spike to pierce armor instead. Early in the morning the day after I finished my task, I was sitting on a log silently and sharpening the blade when Gerdur approached me.

"How is your chest?" She crossed her arms as she asked the question.

"Good enough to work a forge," I replied, looking up from my axe.

"I see that. Impressive work," she paused for a moment with a thoughtful look on her face. "As I said, I was more than happy to help and keep helping. But, there is something you could do for us." She finished, gesturing to the village as a whole. "If there is a dragon about, the Jarl needs to know. Riverwood is defenseless against that type of beast."

"And you want me to be the one to tell him." I responded.

"I would go myself, but I have duties to attend to."

"Don't worry, it's the least I can do," I grunted as I stood up. "Been itching to do something anyway." After thanking me, Gerdur left to start the mill. I took a long breath of the early morning air, savoring the crispness of it.

'_Definitely better than a Hammerfall morning.' _I thought as I made my way to the general store to speak to the owner, a small man called Lucan, whose nasally voice put me on edge. And unfortunately, it was the first thing I heard.

"I SAID NO! NO HEROICS! NO THEATRICS! AND NO THIEF CHASING!" the shout was surprising coming from the mild-mannered man, his face red with rage. "Oh! Welcome back...sorry about that." The Imperial offered lamely as he noticed me standing in the doorway.

"Thief chasing?" I asked, raising my eyebrow.

"Oh, we had a minor break in, nothing major. We are still open for business."

"What did the thieves take?" I continued. Whatever it was must be important for him to be screaming about it.

"Just one thing… a golden claw." He sighed as he looked to what I assumed was the aforementioned claw's former resting place. "It wasn't very important, it just was sentimental." I looked around the room and saw Lucan's sister, Camilla. She looked angry and on the verge of letting lose her own shout.

"I could retrieve it for you." I offered, crossing my arms.

"You would do that? That's kind." Lucan said, seeming confused, yet hopeful.

"Not kind, practical. I need to journey to Whiterun, but don't have gold to pay for the supplies I need. So, if I receive this claw for you, that serves as the payment for what I need." I was going to try to work out a similar deal before I knew about this claw of his.

"Whiterun isn't a far trek. You wouldn't need much…" The Imperial seemed to do the math in his head before speaking again. "It seems fair, you have a deal. Get the claw back and you'll get your supplies. The thieves are in Bleak Falls Barrow." We shook hands and with that, I left the trader.

I began making my way towards the ruin. The prospect of going alone was not thrilling, but Ralof had left for Windhelm yesterday and I didn't trust anyone else here to cover me in a fight. So, it seemed that I had to do it on my own.

The trek up to the ruin which cast its shadow over the small village was long and bitterly cold. I struggled my way up the mountain for nearly an hour before I ran into the first of the bandits. Partially hidden in the heavy snowfall, a lone watch tower came into view and with it, two bandits, who leapt at the chance for a fight. They jumped into motion as soon as they saw me.

"You've chosen a bad day to get lost, friend." An Argonian chuckled as he drew his blade.

"Who says I'm lost, lizard?" I growled as I called Oak Flesh to my hands.

"So, here's how this works, mister magic hands." The Nord next to the Argonian spoke up, lazily holding a mace in his hands. "You give us all your coins and valuables and we won't gut you like a horker."

"Does this work often? Because you two are the least intimidating excuses for bandits I have ever seen." I laughed as I cast my spell.

"That's it. You're dead, fool!" The Argonian snarled as he charged forward with his sword. I quickly shot out flames from both my palms. They weren't strong, but they were enough to stop his charge. He screeched in surprise as he jumped out of the way of the streams of fire. The Nord slammed his mace against his shield and, not a second later, I staggered back as an arrow hit my throat. It bounced off the hardened skin and casting my gaze upwards, I spotted an archer at the top of the tower.

"This might actually be fun." I grunted as I readied my axe. The Argonian had recovered from the fire and made an undisciplined overhead swing with his sword. The blade bounced off my plate as I swung at his lightly armored torso with the axe. My efforts were rewarded with a spray of hot blood and a scream of pain. I withdrew the axe blade and readied myself to finish the Argonian off when I had to dodge another arrow, which carried me right into the Nord's blow. I grunted as I felt my armor deform from the strength of the strike, quickly turning around and slamming my boot into his knee. As he fell, he raised his shield to protect himself. I struck into the shield with the spike on my axe, piercing through it and into his arm. He screamed as I wrenched the spike out.

"So, who was gonna gut me?" I asked.

"That would be me, no-tusk." A rough voice called from behind me. I turned to see an Orc clad in rough iron, his face covered in scars and holding a massive sword in his hands.

"Finally, a challenge!" I barked as I brought my axe down on the groaning Nord's stomach. I dragged the axe out of the bandit and began walking towards the Orc. The Argonian had got up and was rapidly breathing.

"Gonna... kill... you…" He gasped as he charged again. As he reached me, he swung to the side, his blade slamming into my armor. I backhanded him and as he fell, I slammed my axe into his throat. With a gurgle he fell off of the blade, his blood melting the snow around us. It was my turn to charge as the Orc and I rushed each other. His sword was held in a position to impale me. As we reached each other he went to stab my throat, but missed as I lowered myself and slammed into his stomach, picking him up. I ran for a few more feet before tossing him off my shoulder like a sack of potatoes.

An arrow flew by my head as I took a quick swipe at my foe with the axe, a shallow cut appeared on his check and he growled and stood up. He swiped his blade at my arm, impacting the Oak Flesh coating me, but still managing to cut it slightly. I struck out with the axe again, showering us in sparks as it dragged along his chest plate. I dodged a swing of his sword and slammed the pommel of my axe into his face. He staggered back, but blocked the blow I sent towards him. With a roar, he lashed out and brought his blade against the flesh of my face, cutting through the Oak Flesh and leaving a long slice in my cheek. I snarled as I recoiled from the blow.

"You fight well. It will be an honor to kill you." The bandit spoke as he stood straight once more.

'_Finally, an opponent who understands.'_

"As do you. Malacath receives a worthy warrior this day, no matter who wins." I responded, cracking my neck. I rushed forward and struck out with the spike of my axe. He dodged it narrowly and slammed his pommel into my skull, forcing me to back up. I let out a surprised shout as I felt an arrow pierce my arm. I looked down to see that Oak Flesh had worn off. The bandit had a smirk on his scarred face.

"You clever bastard." I laughed as I broke the arrow shaft. I dodged as another arrow flew past my head. '_Oh, I'm going to enjoy killing you,'_ Me and the Orc paced around each other before he charged again. I moved forward and swung the spike towards him, allowing his sword to cut into my arm. He grunted in pain as the spike went through his armor and into his stomach. Wrenching the spike out brought him to his knees and with an upward strike, I cut his throat and finally ended it_._

'_Father of Parathas, accept this warrior into you home. For he is mighty and will honor you in death, as he should have in life.'_ A grim smile on my face, I began making my way up the tower.

"Hey, we can work this out…" I heard as I neared the top.

"We can," I laughed. "Stand still and it will be a clean slice." Finally, I stood face to face with the Dunmer who had been peppering me with arrows, an expression of fear on his face.

"There's no need to get viole-" his plea was cut short as I kicked him in the stomach, sending him over the edge of the tower.

Malacath, I needed that.


	5. Old enemies

**AN/****_I apologize _****_for how long it has been but life got in the way, updates should become more frequent_****_._**

17th _of Last Seed, 4E201_

First Emissary Elenwen grimaced in distaste as she sipped her wine. Things were not going according to plan and it annoyed her to no end. She did her best to enjoy the rich flavor, but it was sullied by her dour mood. She scoffed in disgust as she looked at the most recent update from her agents near Windhelm. The bright parchment caught the early morning light and seemed to amplify it, as if to give itself greater importance.

Not one, not two, but all three of the Thalmor agents in Windhelm had been discovered and executed. One she could possibly understand. Sometimes an enemy gets lucky. But three? That could only mean one of two things. Either someone sympathetic to the rebellion was _extremely _clever, or she had a traitor to deal with. Both options were unsavory, but the latter seemed more likely. She just couldn't see any of those brainless brutes discovering trained Dominion spies. If there was someone of such intelligence in Stormcloak's little cult, she would need to find and remove them before they opened his eyes to his true situation. The prospect of a traitor was concerning. None of her agents were young or easily swayed. Just in case, she needed to ensure the loyalty of her spies once more and soon.

"Madame Elenwen?" One of the maidservants called from the doorway.

"Yes, what is it?" Elenwen sighed.

"Master Umbron is here, just as you asked." The girl's nervous speech began to grate on Elenwen's nerves.

"Good, send him in." Elenwen leaned back in her chair and swirled her wine. The door opened a few moments later to reveal Umbron, a thin man with features a bit too angular to be attractive. His unkempt clothing implied that his journey was not a smooth one.

"First Emissary," Umbron gave a deep bow as he spoke, his voice slightly hoarse from dis-use.

"Umbron. I trust you have the information I requested?" Elenwen raised her eyebrow at his haggard appearance. It was rather unusual for the scholar.

"Of course, if I may?"

"By all means, begin." Bracing herself for the length of the coming monologue, Elenwen took a deep drink of her wine.

"Well, I took the description you gave of the dragon at Helgen and searched throughout all of our _very limited_ historical record on dragons and found nearly nothing. All I found was mention of a very powerful dragon, perhaps even a ruler of dragons, and a name, Al-Du-In. I then searched for this name throughout our records and found only one mention of any creature with such a name. An old Nordic god of destruction who was foretold to swallow the nords seem to believe that it's the son of Auri-El though they use their name." The scholar paced as he spoke, his excitement plain to see.

"I would rather focus on facts then old barbarian legends and myths. We know for certain that this beast is powerful enough to possibly be a ruler of dragons, but that still doesn't answer where it went or why it spent so long hiding." Elenwen let out a deep sigh. "Continue searching. Find me answers, even if you have to tear apart the Imperial archives to do so."

"Yes madam," Umbron recognized the dismissal for what it was, barely containing the disappointment on his face. Perhaps he wanted a long discussion on the implications of the dragon supposedly being a Nordic god of destruction. A pity, for he would find none here, not with her.

Umbron promptly left, leaving the room in silence once more and leaving Elenwen to her last irritant of the morning, the Orc. Just thinking about the swine brought bubbling rage. They _had _him. They were going to make an example of him so all of his little rebel friends in Hammerfell would learn what opposing the Dominion meant. But then, that fool Tullius got involved and he had slipped through their fingers again! In an uncharacteristic show of temper, Elenwen slammed her fist on the desk in rage.

Elenwen slowly unclenched her fist as she took a sip of the wine. The Orc was the only active threat to the Dominion's position in Skyrim. Stormcloak may be beginning to see how much the Thalmor truly controlled him, but the pawn was yet to fully realize his lack of agency. The dragon was an unknown and seemed more of a general threat to the world rather than a specific threat to the Dominion. No, the Orc was the only one. If he was allowed to roam Skyrim unchecked, then he would most likely stir up the resting resentment that even the most loyal of Imperial dogs had for the Thalmor and turn it into actionable anger, which very well could unite the province if given enough time. She had no intention of giving him any time at all.

Elenwen pulled a blank piece of parchment from her desk and dipped her quill in ink. The letter would be short and to the point, but it would do its job.

_ Ondolemar on old irritant from Hammerfall has resurfaced here in Skyrim._

_Upon receiving this letter, make post haste to the embassy to receive further information and_ _instructions. Make no delay justicar, the dominion's interests in Skyrim depend upon you._

_-First Emissary Elenwen _

"Servant!" Elenwen barked.

"Yes, madam?" The human girl spoke timidly as she entered.

"Find a rider to deliver this letter to Ondolemar in Markarth." Elenwen sneered as she sealed the letter in its envelope. "And inform them that it is meant for his eyes only."

"At once, First Emissary." The serving girl took the letter and practically ran away from Elenwen's cold glare. Elenwen allowed herself a grim smile as she stood to look out the window.

No, the Orc would not escape the Dominion and its justice. Not this time.


End file.
